Deep Tech Entrepreneurship and Mentoring Programme “Ignition Qualifiers”

Author
Latvian Investment and Development Agency

October 30, 2025

opportunity entrepreneurship research

As part of the AGRI-BIOCIRCULAR-HUB project, the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) invites enterprising professionals, researchers and innovators from the agricultural, food and biocircular economy sectors from Ukraine, Latvia and Poland to apply for the Ignition Qualifiers entrepreneurial mentoring program (online).

Ignition Qualifiers.jpg
LIAA publicity image.

This programme is designed to support innovators in bringing their agricultural and bio-based solutions to market and to farmers, with a special focus on eco-design, product and business development, technology transfer, commercialisation, and investment readiness.

Training starts on November 4.

Who can apply

  • Entrepreneurs and startup founders in the fields of agriculture, food, or bioeconomy;
  • Students, PhD candidates, and young researchers with innovative ideas for agriculture;
  • Experienced researchers (especially from Ukraine) who wish to commercialise their research and innovation results.

Participants will gain

  • Practical methods and expert mentoring to turn ideas into investment-ready business cases;
  • Step-by-step guidance on technology validation, customer development, and EU funding opportunities;
  • Insights into real deep tech startup-building methods used by more than 100 startups;
  • Access to mentors from technology transfer offices, commercialisation experts, and innovation ecosystems across Europe.

Limited to 100 participants.

Training will take place online (in English).

Application and next steps

Upon completing the programme, participants will qualify for the Ignition event (online) — a unique platform to meet pre-selected scientists and innovators from across Europe who are ready to co-create new AgroBioCircular startups.

Together, we will strengthen the next generation of agricultural and food innovators, bringing circular and sustainable technologies closer to the farmers who need them most.

Funded with the support of the European Union under Grant Agreement ID 101186869. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the EU; the EU and the granting authority are not responsible for the content.

Recommended articles

CERN artificial intelligence entrepreneurship

"Sorsera" to Develop Agentic Artificial Intelligence for CERN Procurement

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) has initiated a collaboration with the Latvian technology company "Sorsera" to implement agentic artificial intelligence solutions in CERN’s procurement and supplier engagement processes. To automate and improve supplier selection, research, eva…

Labs of Latvia

March 26, 2026

innovation entrepreneurship

From Mushroom to Capsule: Functional Extracts Crafted in a Cēsis Laboratory

Functional mushrooms are experiencing a surge in popularity worldwide, valued for their benefits in boosting energy, focus, and immunity. In Latvia, this niche is also being developed by “Spora Lab,” a company that cultivates medicinal mushrooms in its laboratory in Cēsis and produces dietary suppl…

Zane Ozoliņa | LSM

March 23, 2026

youth opportunity

Latvia’s brightest students in engineering and natural sciences compete for victory in the “BIO-GO-Higher” knowledge contest

n the third round of the knowledge competition for secondary school students “BIO-GO-Higher,” organised by the Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence (BBCE), the competition for the grand prize intensifies. The round, dedicated to biology, brings participants closer to winning a trip to Germany a…

Riga Technical University

March 19, 2026

research

Saving humanity by combing bees – LVMI “Silava” scientists explain how they study pollinator diversity

Environmental engineer Santa Ieviņa from the Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava" (LSFRI "Silava") has prepared a popular science article within the framework of the Latvian Council of Science-supported project Forest roads as multifunctional ecosystems: biodiversity, ecosyste…

Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"

March 18, 2026